Rooted in the Land: Essays on Community and Place - Softcover

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0300069618 ISBN 13: 9780300069617

Publisher: Yale University Press, 1996

Synopsis

Although contemporary society seems to promote the values of individualism and mobility, this engrossing book is dedicated to the notion that human lives are enriched by participation in a social community that is integrated into the natural landscape of a particular place. The 34 contributors―who include David Ehrenfeld, Lynn R. Miller, Wendell Berry, Deborah Tall, David W. Orr, Robert Swann, and Susan Witt, as well as other philosophers, scientists, activists, economists, historians, farmers and ranchers, sociologists, theologians, and political scientists―offer an array of social and ecological perspectives on the nature of "community."

The editors, William Vitek and Wes Jackson, contend that a deeper understanding of communities is critical for the health of the planet and the human spirit. They offer a compelling collection of new and classic writings―many in the form of personal narrative―that extend E. F. Schumacher's ideas about the importance of human scale and Aldo Leopold's concept of biotic citizenship. Proposing eloquent defenses of community life and practical suggestions for becoming connected to others and native to a place, the writers explore the loss of community, the philosophical foundations of communities, and the current renewal of community life.

About this title

About the Author

William Vitek is associate professor of philosophy at Clarkson University. He is active in promoting working landscapes, rural communities, and local economies in northern New York. Wes Jackson is director and cofounder of the Land Institute in Salina, Kansas, and recent recipient of a Pew Conservation Scholars award and a MacArthur Fellowship. He is currently engaged in revitalizing Matfield Green, an abandoned farm community in Kansas.

From the Back Cover

This book is a collection of new and previously published essays that take as their central theme the importance of 'placed' human beings, but each of us is enriched to the extent that we can belong to, and participate in, a well-ordered human community integrated into the natural landscape of a particular place.

Reviews

This collection of 34 essays by philosophers, theologians, farmers, political scientists, economists, and academicians examines the role of the community and sense of place in our lives. Part 1, "Rediscovering the Landscape," examines the forces that influence our mobility and cause us to drift away from our roots. Part 2, "Community Foundations," attempts to define and describe communities and the boundaries and social forces that help maintain them. Part 3, "Becoming Native," challenges us to build communities, establish roots, and make our communities attractive and livable. These tantalizing and provocative essays will change readers' perspectives about the importance of community. The authors believe that the sense of participation one derives from "a place" is good for society, for the economy, and for each individual. They make no apologies for their disdain for the widespread mobility and lack of rootedness in today's world. Highly recommended for social science and environmental collections.?Irwin Weintraub, Rutgers Univ. Lib., New Brunswick, N.J.
Copyright 1996 Reed Business Information, Inc.

Edition details

• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication date: 1996
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0300069618
• ISBN 13: 9780300069617
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 302
• Editor: Vitek William, Jackson Wes